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Gabon's opposition parties have
welcomed as vindication a decision by the Constitutional Court to re-count the
votes from the August 30th presidential election.

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They had
challenged the electoral commission's decision to declare Ali Ben Bongo winner
of the vote, claiming the ruling party rigged the vote.

The ruling party has
denied the accusation. Soon after the electoral body announced the winner of
the vote, opposition supporters clashed with security forces leaving several
people dead and property destroyed.

Political observers had hoped the August 30
election would mark Gabon's first chance towards democracy after over two
decades under the late President Omar Bongo.

Desire Ename, publisher of Gabon's
Independent Echos Dunard newspaper said that the opposition
is cautiously optimistic about the prospects of the vote recount.

"The
Constitutional Court has decided to be impartial and this is the first reaction
I can have," Ename said.

He
said the opposition demanded a vote recount shortly after election.

"The
opposition leader must be satisfied of that decision because that is exactly
what they have asked for since the end of the election. So I think that it is a
total satisfaction from the opposition members," he said.

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Ename
said the opposition is also skeptical about the vote recount.

"I
have also heard some people saying that they remain very careful that it can be
a good decision, but most of the people are not confident in the decision of
the Constitutional Court," Ename said.

Pierre
Mamboundou, Gabon's opposition leader was seriously injured after his
supporters violently clashed with the security forces shortly after the
electoral commission declared Ali Ben Bongo winner of the August 30th
vote.

The
opposition also called for a three day nationwide strike to put pressure on the
government for a vote recount.

Mamboundou
and other opposition leaders also accused the government of plotting to
assassinate them after describing the vote as electoral coup d'état.

Ename
said Mamboundou will feel vindicated by the court's decision.

"What
Mr. Pierre Mamboundou said must be on the basis of the way the election went on
after the vote. So, it is his opinion (and) it is a clear opinion and a real
one because most of the people in Gabon… feel that the issue of the election
was not told in a very righteous way as (it) should have been told," Ename
said.

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He
said Gabonese hailed the decision of the court to recount the vote.

"Many
people are happy… but some other people say it is better to be careful because
we don't know what will be the issue," he said.

Ename
said most Gabonese want change.

"If
Mr. Bongo is not declared the winner (of the recount) it will be a great
explosion of joy for many people… what majority of the people want to see is to
see another leadership, someone else as the head of the country," Ename said.

The
winner of the vote recount will replace long-time late President Omar Bongo who
died of a heart attack at a Barcelona clinic early June.